These are the best ways to earn cash in Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is finally here. The sci-fi dystopic RPG is set in a near-future where human life itself is packaged and commoditized. Whether it’s cybernetic cosmetics or cybernetic bodily enhancements, they don’t come cheap. Cybernetics and other types of upgrades, from weapons, to clothes, to mods, and beyond, all cost Eurodollars in Cyberpunk 2077’s universe. To that end, earning cash forms a large basis of what you’ll be doing in Cyberpunk 2077, to build your ideal character.

Related: Cyberpunk 2077 must-know starter tips

Making money in Cyberpunk 2077: Gigs and missions

The easiest and fastest way to make money is to simply play! V is a mercenary, and the game throws tons of opportunities at you to make cash if you’re willing to do the leg work.

Quests and missions in Cyberpunk 2077 break down into three main types. Main missions, side missions, gigs, and bounties. Each of them comes with opportunities to make cash, but it’s the gigs and bounties which can be the most lucrative.

• Bounties appear on the map as a blue icon, and they’re offered by the Night City Police Department. These crimes in progress events are offered up to local bounty hunters to solve, in exchange for cold hard cash. They typically come with some contexts too, either in the form of text messages or occasional conversations between perps. Typically, the goal of each of these missions is to go in and kill (or incapacitate) everybody, and occasionally loot and item or find some evidence. Upon completion, the NCPD will wire you some cash.
• Gigs are yellow question mark icons on the map. As you move close, the local Fixer for that district will call you on the phone and offer some context, as well as additional mission parameters. For example, Regina Jones is the first Fixer you’ll meet in Night City, and she has a bit of a soft spot, often asking you to keep people alive for arrests or questioning, rather than wanton murder and destruction. Her “Cyberpsychos” quest chain is a series of boss battles that reward extra cash if you use non-lethal weapons or hacks to finish off the perps. These gigs often come with piles of cash as rewards, even if you don’t follow the full criteria. Note that some of these missions are only complete once you send a text message or gather evidence for the Fixer who offered it, using your phone interface in-game.
• Side missions are usually story quests about the main characters in the game. These don’t always offer cash, but may offer loot, which you can sell on.
• Main missions also don’t always reward money, but often there’ll be a story reason for a bit of cash to get sent your way.

Gigs and bounties are generally your best bets for grinding cash for that specific weapon or upgrade you’re after. This is also a preem way to level up your character, grab loot to sell, find parts, and occasionally rare weapons.

Making money in Cyberpunk 2077: Loot and sell all the things

As you play Cyberpunk 2077, you’ll accrue piles of junk, meds, food, and random items that serve no purpose besides taking up inventory space. You can sell and offload all of these to gradually gain cash too.

• The athletics perk tree has talents that increase carrying capacity, if you want to stockpile junk for selling more efficiently.
• The crafting tree has a perk that gives you more cash for selling crafted items, but we’re unsure if this is actually worth taking unless you’re already planning to get deep into that tree. I used crafting on my first playthrough, putting quite a lot of points into it, and rarely found it was worth while, since weapons and gear you find in the field is often better anyway.
• Guns and other weapons can be stripped for parts or sold outright. Selling them outright often nets more cash, but if you want the parts to upgrade your stuff, that’s also an option.
• If you do go deep into the crafting tree, earning cash in the endgame by selling high-end crafted items can be lucrative, but by that point, you probably won’t need the cash anyway.
• The amount of cash you get from selling stuff isn’t as much as you get from simply doing gigs and bounties, but every little helps.
• When selling stuff to a vendor, make sure to check your other filters for stuff you don’t need. There’s no need to carry around a huge stockpile of food, you’re better off just selling it all off.